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Syracuse University’s Student Association vetoed an expense approval for a College Republicans at SU speaker event featuring Brandon Straka, a convicted January 6, 2021, Capitol riot participant, during its Monday evening meeting. The decision came after a debate among the assembly.

SA Comptroller Alexis Leach reported to the assembly that College Republicans had requested funding for an event titled “#WalkAway with Brandon Straka.” Going into the meeting, the association’s finance board had allocated $1,052.40 to the event, contingent on proof of agreement from Straka.

Straka is a prominent Republican social media influencer with over 852,000 followers on X. A former Democrat, Straka founded the #WalkAway campaign in hopes of encouraging others to leave the party, CNN reported in 2022.

Straka gained attention in Jan. 2022 when he was sentenced to three years of probation and fined $5,000 for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Prosecutors argued that Straka used his public profile to encourage the insurrection and urged supporters to use force against Capitol police.

Following the presentation of the comptroller report, Leela Amarasiri, the chair of SA’s academic affairs committee, motioned for the funds requested by College Republicans to be separated into a different bill from other registered student organization allocation requests.

When examining allocation requests, the finance board’s sole responsibility is to ensure the proposal meets the criteria of SA’s fiscal codes, Leach said. She also said Straka was not expecting payment for the event, and the requested funds would only cover his room, board and travel expenses.

“From a Finance Board aspect, we are here to just put through your fiscal codes and it did follow the fiscal codes,” Leach said.

Multiple assembly members voiced concerns about allocating student activity funds to the event. Members argued that the majority of SU students on both sides of the political spectrum would stand against someone who broke federal law, regardless of beliefs.

“The issue is with us as an organization funding a speaker who is convicted of insurrectionism. I’m open to counter arguments, but I don’t think it is within the best interest of the average active student and their money,” Amarasiri said.

SA Speaker Kennedy Williams said that due to the nature of SU’s vetting process, SA’s refusal to fund the event would not stop it from taking place. If approved by the university, funding for the event would have to come from a source outside of SU’s student activity fee.

“When you’re voting, think about what is representing the student body,” Williams said before SA’s vote.

In November 2023, SA denied funding to the College Republicans for an event with speaker Sara Stockton, a marriage and family therapist and skeptic of gender-affirming care. The club hosted the event, which was met with protests from the SU community, without student activity money.

Two months earlier, College Republicans withdrew an application to host the Onondaga County chapter of the right-wing group Moms for Liberty in SU’s Watson Hall. At the time, the university told College Republicans that the group could not host meetings for outside organizations in campus facilities. According to SU’s Student Experience Office website, RSOs and other individuals are not permitted to reserve campus spaces for other groups.

The assembly vetoed College Republicans’ Monday funding request by a vote of 0-17-3, with none against, 17 opposed, and three abstained.

Other business:

• SA Vice President Reed Granger recapped recent meetings between SA members and Sheriah Dixon, SU’s dean of students, in which they discussed ongoing SA initiatives like grocery trolleys and menstrual product access.
• SA President German Nolivos promoted Latine Heritage Month events and discussed the month’s opening ceremony on Monday.
• Nolivos said the association hopes to expand its “No Problem Too Small” initiative – a variety of online forms open to all students allowing them to voice opinions and concerns on issues ranging from student and employee parking to personal student experiences.

Published on September 17, 2024 at 12:54 am

Contact Anna: aclevitt@syr.edu